Russia Announces Visas for Citizens of Montenegro in Reciprocal Move
Russia said the move will affect bilateral travel and comes after Montenegro ended its 2008 visa-free agreement to align with European Union rules.
- Starting November 1, Russia will introduce visa requirements for Montenegrin citizens, retaliating against Podgorica's decision to terminate their 2008 mutual travel agreement as Montenegro seeks EU membership.
- Montenegro announced in July that it would end visa-free access for citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to align with EU standards as part of its EU integration efforts.
- Russian-Montenegrin relations have remained strained since 2016, worsening after Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 and aligned with EU sanctions over Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting Moscow to label Montenegro as "unfriendly."
- On October 9, Montenegrin authorities detained and deported Mikhail Zvinchuk, creator of the Telegram channel Rybar, claiming he sought to film a report portraying EU integration as externally imposed.
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that EU accession would require Balkan nations to adopt a "confrontational anti-Russian course," claiming Brussels cannot compensate Montenegro for inevitable economic losses.
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EADaily, 14 October 2026, Russia will introduce a visa regime with Montenegro in response to a similar step by the country, and Maria Zacharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, stated.
Russia will introduce a visa regime for Montenegrin citizens in response to Podgorica's decision to terminate a bilateral visa-free travel agreement with Moscow, as the Balkan country seeks to join the European Union (EU) in 2028, The Moscow Times reported.
Russia Announces Visas for Citizens of Montenegro in Reciprocal Move
Russia will introduce visa requirements for citizens of Montenegro in retaliation to Podgorica’s decision to end its bilateral visa-free travel agreement with Moscow as it seeks to join the EU in 2028. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Montenegro’s foreign ministry notified Moscow of its intent to cancel the 2008 mutual travel agreement on Sept. 28. “In practice, this means that starting Nov. 1, our citizens wil…
ZAHAROVA announces the introduction of visas for citizens of Montenegro from November 1, which is a response to the harmonization of Podgorica's visa policy with EU rules.
Citizens of Montenegro, which is introducing a visa regime for Russians, will also have to obtain visas for traveling to our country, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, told Izvestia.
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